Slow Cooker Chicken Bolognese Pasta: Rich, Comforting, and Surprisingly Easy

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If you’re craving a bowl of hearty, rich, slow-simmered pasta but want something lighter than the traditional beef version, this Slow Cooker Chicken Bolognese Pasta is the perfect comfort meal. It delivers everything you love about classic bolognese — the deep tomato flavor, the tender meat, the aromatic vegetables, the glossy finish — but with ground chicken for a leaner, healthier twist.

Made entirely in the slow cooker, this chicken bolognese is the definition of convenience. Once you sauté the vegetables and chicken (a quick step that locks in tons of flavor), everything goes into the slow cooker to simmer low and slow for hours. The result? A thick, luscious, deeply flavorful sauce that tastes like it cooked on an Italian stovetop all day.

It’s ideal for family dinners, meal prep, or anyone craving a warm, satisfying pasta dish with minimal hands-on effort. Toss with spaghetti, rigatoni, fettuccine, or even zucchini noodles — this sauce elevates everything.

Why This Slow Cooker Chicken Bolognese Works

1. Slow cooking builds real flavor

Low heat breaks down the vegetables and allows the tomatoes, herbs, and chicken to meld beautifully.

2. Chicken makes it lighter

All the richness with less heaviness — a great option for family-friendly or everyday meals.

3. Meal prep perfection

The sauce stores and reheats extremely well.

4. Versatile with any pasta

Use spaghetti, penne, pappardelle, gluten-free pasta, or even veggies.

5. Restaurant-level depth with minimal work

A quick sauté → slow cooker → done.

Ingredients

For the Chicken Bolognese Sauce

  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, finely diced
  • 2 celery stalks, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan (optional but recommended)

Pasta

  • 12 oz spaghetti or pasta of choice
  • Salt for boiling water
  • Extra Parmesan + basil for serving

Instructions

1. Sauté aromatics.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until softened, 4–5 minutes.

2. Brown the chicken.

Add ground chicken and cook until lightly browned, breaking it apart.

3. Transfer to slow cooker.

Add the cooked chicken and vegetables to the slow cooker.

4. Add remaining sauce ingredients.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and balsamic vinegar.

5. Slow cook.

Cook on LOW 6–7 hours or HIGH 3–4 hours.

6. Cook pasta.

Boil pasta according to package instructions.

7. Combine.

Stir Parmesan into the sauce, then toss with hot pasta.

8. Serve.

Top with basil and extra Parmesan.

Slow Cooker Chicken Bolognese Pasta

A rich, hearty, slow-simmered chicken bolognese made in the slow cooker and served with perfectly cooked pasta.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 420

Ingredients
  

Chicken Bolognese
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 carrots finely diced
  • 2 celery stalks finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 28 oz crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan grated, optional
Pasta
  • 12 oz spaghetti or pasta of choice

Equipment

  • Slow cooker
  • Skillet
  • Large pot
  • Stirring spoon

Method
 

  1. Sauté onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in olive oil until softened.
  2. Add ground chicken and cook until browned.
  3. Transfer chicken and vegetables to the slow cooker.
  4. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and balsamic vinegar.
  5. Cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.
  6. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
  7. Stir Parmesan into the sauce, then toss with hot pasta.
  8. Serve topped with basil and more Parmesan.

Notes

Add milk or cream for a silky finish; sauce freezes well without pasta.

Expert Tips

1. Don’t skip sautéing

This step transforms flavor — raw vegetables won’t caramelize in the slow cooker.

2. Add milk for creaminess

Stir in ½ cup whole milk after cooking for a silky texture.

3. Want a thicker sauce?

Let it simmer uncovered for 20 minutes on HIGH.

4. Make it spicy

Add more red pepper flakes or a diced chili.

5. Double the sauce

It freezes beautifully.

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve over spaghetti, penne, or fettuccine
  • Pair with garlic bread
  • Add a simple side salad
  • Serve over zucchini noodles for low-carb

Variations

Creamy Chicken Bolognese

Add milk, cream, or mascarpone at the end.

Vegetable-Loaded

Add chopped mushrooms, spinach, or zucchini.

Chicken Sausage Bolognese

Replace ground chicken with Italian chicken sausage.

Meal Prep & Storage

Refrigerate:

4 days.

Freeze:

Up to 3 months (sauce only).

Reheat:

Simmer with a splash of broth or water.

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